What makes an icon? Is it longevity, quality, timelessness of design – or a mix of the three? As the true meaning is hard to define, we do know it when we see it. Designed in 1955 by Danish designer Arne Jacobsen, the recognizable silhouette of the Series 7
—known colloquially as the Sevener—has been revered for over seventy years as a titan in the seating world and arguably Fritz Hansen’s most popular chair. This ‘je ne sais quoi’ lives on within the limited-edition Series 7 Tailored. These new pieces from the brand tap timeless leather experts Enrico Pellizzoni, perfectly upholstering the familiar form in full-grain Italian leather while toeing the line between approachable and exclusive.
The seat’s simple, organic shape and slender, curved shell have made it a chameleon: equally at home in significant architectural interiors as in everyday life, from dining rooms to workplaces.
This enduring duality—functional yet expressive, stackable yet iconic—anchors the limited-edition Series 7 Tailored, introduced as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations. Fritz Hansen presents the Tailored edition as a crafted evolution of the original plywood chair, now clad in thick harness leather with precise stitching that highlights its famed silhouette. The leather envelops the shell completely, its pinched edges and contrasting stitches recalling the detail of a luxury handbag or saddle—a subtle but powerful shift in materiality that reframes the chair as rare and highly crafted.
To realize this transformation, Fritz Hansen partnered with Italian leather specialist Enrico Pellizzoni to leverage their nearly 100 years of expertise in full-grain leather hides and bespoke leather craftsmanship. The collaboration underscores Fritz Hansen’s long-standing commitment to quality and legacy, pairing Danish modernist form with Italian material mastery. The result is a chair defined not only by its silhouette but by refinement and tactility.
Materially, the Tailored edition offers a nuanced range. It comes in three leather variants: Saddle Brown and Warm Ecru in a classic flat finish, and Slate Grey in an embossed pattern. The embossed—or pressed—leather marks a first for Fritz Hansen, introduced specifically to honor the 2025 anniversary. Over time, the full-grain leather will develop a rich patina, further distinguishing each piece as uniquely lived-in.
While the upholstery elevates the expression, the chair’s essential architecture remains untouched in a testament to Jacobsen’s original vision. As Creative Director Els Van Hoorebeeck notes, the Series 7 has always embodied two characters within one design: “one functional, stackable, practical; the other expressive and iconic… It has withstood the test of time, again and again”. That inherent adaptability, to feel approachable or exclusive, remains central to the Tailored edition’s appeal.
The Series 7 Tailored is issued with a classic chrome base, though it can also be configured with one of Fritz Hansen’s colored steel bases, offering further opportunity for personalization.
Expertly crafted by skilled hands, an iconic design rarely, if ever, should change. Instead, it evolves through material, detail, and context. The Series 7 Tailored Collection is an affirmation that refinement and materiality can bring new light to an already timeless form.
To learn more about the Tailored Collection, visit fritzhansen.com.
Photography courtesy of Fritz Hansen.
